Westmoreland Land Trust to Protect County's Open Space

The Westmoreland County Board of Commissioners, Tom Balya, Tom Ceraso and Phil Light, on December 6 passed a resolution creating the new Westmoreland Land Trust.

A land trust is a local organization that conserves land of special value to the community, such as land that contributes to the regions quality of life because of its scenic, recreational, environmental, historical or cultural attributes.
 
We created this land trust because citizens throughout the county told us that their number one priority is to retain the predominant rural character of Westmoreland County, said Commission Chairman Tom Balya, citing the results of a series of public meetings held in 2004 to create the blueprint for the county's future  its comprehensive plan.  The Westmoreland Land Trust will be a valuable partner in maintaining, and improving, the quality of life in Westmoreland County.
 
Land use plays a crucial role in determining the future of a region.   The primary land use objective in Westmoreland County, as identified in the comprehensive plan, is to provide a balance between development and preservation.  The land trust will be an important addition to the organizations that are already actively working to help achieve that balance because, on the conservation side, the trust has the potential to preserve a wide variety of types of land  such as land that offers scenic vistas, tracts that help to create a larger greenway corridor through the county, and sensitive areas that are under pressure for development.
 
The newly formed Westmoreland Land Trust is an independent organization, directed by a board of local citizens appointed today by the county commissioners.  The Trust will not be responsible for any local zoning decisions.
 
The Trust will hold its first meeting in January, and some of its initial responsibilities will involve developing a mission statement, determining operating and land procurement policies, and applying for non-profit status.  The group also will study the best way to apply some $363,000 in initial land-acquisition funding that was allocated by the County Commissioners last year as one of 21 separate conservation projects in Westmoreland County funded under the states Growing Greener II County Environmental Initiative.

Meetings of the land trust will be held at the Westmoreland Conservation District headquarters, 218 Donohoe Road, Greensburg.  The District is also hosting the trust on its website,  www.wcdpa.com\landtrust.